Yellow shirt helps cops track rape accused in Mumbai

The Nehru Nagar police on Monday booked a 22-year-old man for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl in Kurla (East). While the girl was unable to give a clear description of the accused, she gave them a vital clue — the colour of the clothes he wore on that day — which helped them catch him within 24 hours of allegedly committing the crime, said the police.

According to the police, the accused, Wasim Ansari, 22, allegedly kidnapped and raped the girl in broad daylight on Sunday.

“She was playing with her brother and friends in the veranda when the accused whisked her away. No one realised she went missing until her mother inquired about her,” said an officer from Nehru Nagar police station.

She was eventually traced by the local residents of the area who went looking for her. The girl’s family then filed a complaint at the police station.

“Initially, it was difficult to track the accused as the girl kept identifying him as uncle. Things progressed after she was asked to describe what he wore and that’s when she gave us a vital clue — he wore a yellow shirt and shorts,” added the officer.

The police then swung into action and began probing shopkeepers in the area. “Based on the information collected, we traced Ansari and caught him. During investigation, Ansari confessed to the crime. We also found the yellow shirt at his residence,” said the officer.

The accused has been booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and section 8 under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012.